The Sócrates´ Gang - the photo that says it all

Sitting round the table of mirth,

watching the debate between socialist contender for PM, 

António Costa and current PM, 

Pedro Passos Coelho

A pictures tells a thousand stories!

Sócrates, ex-socialist PM, recently released from prison 

but still in house custody, 

with police guarding him 24/7,

invited his closest friends to joke about the debate on TV.

Round the table of mirth, are sitting:

Paulo Campos, ex-secretary of State 

and the following socialists deputies:

André Figueiredo,

Vitalino Canas, 

and José Lello (rude, crude cyber bully),

the lawyer Pedro Delille 

and Joaquim Raposo.

These are part of the so-called socratist gang.

Paulo Campos, criticized, for using and abusing the State 

for his own benefit and for that of his cronies.  

Ethics and morals are apparently not part of his resume ... 

Best known for his magic touch to turn frogs into Prince Charmings, 

with or without a kiss, or in other words, 

helping friends without any curriculum, 

to be important managers, 

in posts unscrupulously distributed, 

appears to be involved in a case 

where the State's interests were apparently further damaged 

and submitted to the power of private interests ...

In a contract, which was already established, 

having zero costs for the Portuguese tax-payer, 

were renegotiated with Mota-Engil 

(presided by socialist, Jorge Coelho, at the time), 

requiring unilateral benefits for the company.

For example: Motorway sections, which were not profitable enough, 

became a  bother for the companies exploring the toll taxes, 

losing money, as tolls taxes did not render enough money to satisfy them.

Paulo Campos solved the problem:

He renegotiated to pay Ascendi, on roads that, before, 

did not cost a cent to the State and therefore the tax-payers, 

1.864 million euros on fixed incomes, 

while receiving only 1,267,000 euros of toll taxes. 

To be able to pull of this trick, 

he  had to change the Public Procurement Code, 

which he delivered after (or even before, 

we just do not know) the making of the new contract to a law office ... 

linked to construction company.

Paulo Campos ripped off the State

 Before and after the business deal.

The result was a shortfall of 597 million euro a year, 

in public spending that you, the reader, and I, 

are now paying to Ascendi, which is to Mota-Engil and BES 

(the bank who financed the deal - gone bust in between).

However the strange and extraordinary in this case, 

is that the State, represented by Paulo Campos, 

former Secretary of State and now socialist deputy, 

in the commission of Economy and Public Works, 

of the ex-Socrates' government, 

fully accepted enforcing this contract, 

devoid of any justice or reason for being.

The only plausible reason to justify this negotiation 

was to deliberatedly harm the State and the tax-payers, 

and can only be called cronyism 

and therefore a "case for the police" because it is a crime.

The renegotiation of concessions of motorways, 
between the Government of José Sócrates 
and Mota (Mota-Engil) in 2010, 
represent 1.4 billion euros of losses to the State.

Unfortunately, 

the only thing that will be required from these malicious characters, 

is that they justify their actions, and unfortunately, 

in the world where corruption, cronyism and impunity is rife 

on the part of the ex-government of Sócrates, that part is the easiest. 

The harder part is, once again, 

the Portuguese people have to stand by 

and watch helplessly while being ripped off. 

No wonder, Sócrates has been imprisoned on corruption, 

fiscal fraud and money laundering, awaiting accussation 

in house custody.

But now, he is free to invite the rest of his gang of "malicious" characters,

to sup and dine with him, in great mirth and laughter.

While the Portuguese has had to suffer the most terrible hardships, 

losing their jobs and subsidies, 

making incredible sacrifices, while these fat cats of Sócrates, 

are having fun and making fun of the stupid portuguese, 

who voted for them and believed in their false promises!

This was just half of the story about Paulo Campos, 
for each of these laughing cronies 
of the gang, has similar stories of corruption and manipulation 
of State and tax-payers money!

THE UNTOUCHABLES!!